YES, A GRATEFUL HEART....AGAIN....

It's so hard for me to believe how time has flown by, faster and faster every passing year, it seems.  As I reflect on the thankfuls this Thanksgiving season, I refuse to look back at my past posts even though this one might repeat gratitudes from those posts.  I've learned it's okay to repeat thankfuls over and over and over every single.  Yes, not just on Thanksgiving.  Every. Single. Day.

I find myself also amazed at how the Lord speaks to me these days.  Maybe it's because I seek His voice and listen for it and to it much more than I used to.  Take this morning, for example.  As I turned to my devotion/study that I'm drawing near to a close, the scripture it took me to was Isaiah, one little chapter of 6 verses.  It was so fitting for today and the season, plus it was already colored in my yellow in my Bible.  Coincidence?  Nah.

Yes, I want to make mention of HIS name for he has done excellent things!

For the past few weeks, The Son-In-Law, The Girl, and The Grandbaby have been giving one thing each to be thankful for as they eat their supper.  The only rule is that it can't be the same thing every time.  When they ate with us, I did change the rule a bit as I would give my "thankful", then say that we ALWAYS need to be thankful for Jesus.  Everyone agreed so that thankful became the exception to the rule.  I got a bit teary-eyed one Monday after that as I had picked up The Grandbaby at preschool as each Monday goes.  We were looking at her crafts from school and the first thing in the folder was a cross that had tissue paper attached.  At the top of the sheet was "I'm Thankful for Jesus".  Well duh....there you go.  Coincidence?  Nah.

So with all that introduction, here's just the highlights of my thankfuls this year.

I'M THANKFUL FOR JESUS!

I'm thankful for salvation I received over 50 years ago.

I'm thankful that choice to accept HIS salvation has grown sweeter and sweeter with each year.

I'm not only grateful for a family, but a healthy one this year, give or take a snotty nose or two or three.

I'm thankful there's food on the table.

I'm thankful there's gas in the car.  (Insert here that I'm glad I don't use as much gas as I used to as the car gets better gas mileage than in the past.)

I'm thankful for a cluttered house.  It shows we live here happily.

I'm thankful for a church where I can worship freely and a church family who prays just because there's a need, there's been a request, or just because they love.

I'm thankful for friends in all walks of my life who touch my life in so many ways.

I'm thankful that my wonderful surgeon and I have not met in a doctor's office or an operating room in 16 months.  Yes, I'm counting!  It's a huge deal!

I'm thankful for a comfortable recliner and a comfortable set of pajamas.

I'm thankful that my ears can hear a little voice that says, "Neema" and for a neck that can feel the squeeze of a hug from a little one.  Ahhh....

I'm thankful for the little bit of sleep I do get every night and I look forward to being thankful should that little bit of sleep become an uninterrupted all night sleep.  :)

I'm thankful for comfort in times of uncertainty and fears.

I'm thankful for mercy for times that I need it...which is daily.

I'm thankful for faith in "the plan" of my heavenly Father.

I'm thankful for grace.  Where would any of us be without amazing grace?

I'm thankful for assurance that God provides and supplies.  When storms come and doubts blow by, I'm thankful those doubts are fleeting and replaced by the assurance that God is near.

I'm thankful that there's so much more that I don't have the space or time to mention.  Plus you don't have the time to read, but trust me, there's so much more.

So to end this with another one of my favorite scriptures that I'm sure you've heard here before:

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."    Philippians 4:6,7

And all God's people said, "Amen!"

Consider....

THE JOY OF A KITCHEN

I got up this morning with the realization that today is a rare day at home for me.  Nowhere to go all day long.  That has become quite the rarity.  Being Wednesday, I am looking forward to having guests for supper.  Today, though, is the day I decided I would prepare food fitting for Thanksgiving.  Yes, turkey, dressing, potatoes, green beans with cheesecake in the oven.  Ah, and let's not forget the cranberry sauce for The Son-in-Law and me.

I decided I would be organized and I am happy to report to you that I am.  I was able to sit for a while with my devotion and Bible and read about Peter and Jesus walking on the water.  I thought about storms of life and how one has to walk by faith, not by sight.  Pretty soon after that devotion I got a text from a dear one asking prayer for some testing for her husband next week.  I have a dear friend, too, who is having surgery now as I type.  I was thinking about prayer and specifically my own and wondered if my prayers ever got higher than the ceiling.  I kept pondering that as I worked around here in the kitchen.

I then chose to leave the television off and put on some CDs.  The first I have chosen here is by Alan Jackson.  Let me tell you, not many folks can sing those good old songs and hymns like Alan Jackson.  As he began to sing, my heart began to overflow and shucks, I'm still teary as I type.  He sang "Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling".  If I remember correctly, that song was sang at my Granny's funeral many years ago.  I thought it was such a very odd choice, but her choice.  Since then I have learned the joy of the verse that goes "Oh for the wonderful love he has promised.  Promised for you and for me.  Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon.  Pardon for you and for me."  What joy that is!

Then there was "I Love to Tell the Story".  And I do love that story so much.  I just don't tell it enough.  It says "I love to tell the story of unseen things above...of Jesus and his glory....of Jesus and his love...I love to tell the story because I know 'tis true....It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do....I love to tell the story for those who know it best....seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest...and when in scenes of glory, I sing a new new song....twill be the old old story that I have loved so long."

And then one of my favorites...."Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus....just to take him at his word....how I've proved him o'er and o'er....I'm so glad I learned to trust Him...and I know that thou art with me, will be with me to the end."

Forty one years ago when The Husband and I started dating, I noticed in my mother-in-law's kitchen there hung a framed verse which was a prayer.  I always loved it.  After she passed, that came to me and hangs in my kitchen today and I love it more and more.

The turkey might be dry, the green beans might burn, and the cheesecake might fall, but there will remain joy in this kitchen.  May all who enter always feel it!

I'm thankful this day for that and that God has assured me that HE does hear my prayers.

Consider.....

SOUP

I LOVE soup, especially this time of the year!  A favorite is the Sausage Lentil Soup at Carrabbas Italian Grill.  Yum!  Often at our house, we will have vegetable soup and cornbread made from leftovers from the refrigerator.  No, there is no recipe for that one.  Then there's chili, beef stew, shrimp gumbo....ah, the list is endless.

One food The Husband is not crazy about is chicken.  He just can't help it.  He doesn't care much for chicken but he will eat it if that's the main dish.  It's hard to find a Southern guy who doesn't like chicken but if you ever need one, call The Husband.  He will fit the bill.

A few years ago I would go to a monthly scrapbooking crop at a friend's house.  She would serve lunch and she would serve a chicken soup on occasion that was just delicious.  Since then, I have used her recipe for food for the sick and for the soup supper that sometimes happens at church.  There is usually an empty crockpot when all is done at these events.  It's THAT good.  Granted, not to The Husband, but to the rest of the population.  With that in mind, I thought it might be a great season to share this lovely recipe.

CREAMY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

1 T. butter or margarine

1 large onion, chopped

3 c. chopped cooked chicken

3 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth

1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 (8 oz.) pkg spaghetti, broken into 2" pieces

7 celery ribs, diced

6 medium carrots, diced

1 t. poultry seasoning

1 t. pepper

1 t. grated lemon rind (I often leave this out, simply because I don't keep in my pantry.)

2 c. milk

2 c. (8 oz.) shredded cheese

Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion and sauce until tender.  Stir in chicken and next 9 ingredients; bring to boil.  Reduce heat, simmer 45 minutes.  Stir in milk; return to simmer.  Remove soup from heat and let stand ten minutes.  Sprinkle each serving with shredded cheese.  Makes 12 cups.

Easy to do in crock pot and even quick if you want to do on stovetop.  

Enjoy!

A THOUGHT FOR THIS DAY

You faithful blog readers who go to my Sunday School heard my explanation of this thought yesterday when I filled in for the regular Sunday School Superintendent in his absence.  This thought has stuck with me since a friend ended her prayer with it this past Wednesday.  The thought of it has been so strong, I am committing this verse to memory.

I wanted to share with you today as a thought for this day:

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer."             Psalm 19:14

I do love what that says to me and want it to be so in my life and heart.

Consider........

ANOTHER DECADE BIRTHDAY

Today marks 40 years since The Son-In-Law entered the world.  There's something about that 40th birthday that seems to be a big deal.  I do remember mine actually as it was spent many years ago at a District Honors Chorus weekend and I wore a fine lighted BLINKING pin that said "I'm 40" all day long.  Yes.  All.  Day.  Long.  I was quite a sport.  Sadly, I can't find it now or I would have loaned it to The Son-In-Law to wear today.

With all that commentary said, I couldn't let the day go by without acknowledging it's specialness and especially the specialness of The Birthday Guy.  He came into our lives via the computer--eharmony to be exact.  Happenstance one might say but I say it was a divine appointment.  God had a plan and a good one it was.  And without a doubt, God can use a computer.

I don't look back each year I write posts such as these to avoid repeating things I said last year.  I probably say the same things because I learned long ago that if one tells the truth, that one won't wonder what he/she said.  So I tell the truth.

The truth is that The Son-In-Law is the best!  In the world that I believe in, he does it all correctly.  He loves God first, loves his girls immediately after that, and others next.  He's a strong spiritual leader in a spiritually sound home.  He's a good husband, a good daddy, a good friend, a good Son-In-Law, a good provider for his household, and so much more.  The youth he leads at church love and respect him as do his friends both old and new.  He can give sound advice and most of all seeks the Lord in prayer for things needed.  He doesn't have to pray very long to find the Lord as he keeps the Lord with him all the time.  He so loves his girls with an endless love. He is faithful.  I could ask no more of a son-in-law.

You might say I've gone a bit overboard and you could be right but I think that's okay, too.  I'm entitled.  The Husband and I were only blessed with one child, a sweet little girl who grew up to be a wonderful woman of faith.   Blessings continued with The Son-in-Law and The Grandbaby.  As for The Son-in-Law, I couldn't have picked a better son for us if I had the opportunity to hand pick myself.  I am blessed beyond measure.

So Happy Birthday Son-In-Law with much love and respect back to you.....